1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a motorized retracting unit and a motorized retractable rearview mirror for a vehicle.
2) Description of the Related Art
A motorized retractable rearview mirror is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,315,442 and Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. H11-240385. In both cases, the rearview mirror assembly is switched between an extended position and a retracted position driven by a motor.
However, in the conventional motorized retractable rearview mirror disclosed, if there is a slight misalignment between a rotating shaft of the mirror assembly and an output shaft of the motor, it may generate an operation noise, degrade durability, and cause an unreliable operation. Thus, it is required to maintain a high degree of precision in dimensions between the rotating shaft of the mirror assembly and the output shaft of the motor.
The latter disclosure takes a misalignment of the rotating shaft of the mirror assembly into consideration; however, it does not mention the misalignment between the rotating shaft of the mirror assembly and the output shaft of the motor.